Hayley Williams Asked Law Makers to Change Her Birth State Flag
Hayley Williams has been vigorously fighting for equality, especially in her home state of Mississippi.
American singer-songwriter, Hayley Williams, best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band, Paramore, has asked lawmakers in the state of Mississippi to change its state flag. Williams was born and raised in Mississippi before moving to Tennessee at the age of thirteen. The current Mississippi flag incorporates the Confederate emblem.
Williams took to Twitter to vocalize her reminiscent childhood memories in Meridian, MS.
i was born in meridian, ms. lived there thru 2001. transparently, i have some awful memories from life there but a lot of the good ones i keep involve my black schoolmates & neighborhood friends. those kids introduced me to black artists who shape my artistry to this day…
— hayley from Paramore 🌺 (@yelyahwilliams) June 26, 2020
She continues to point out that inequality was apparent to her even at a young age.
i remember noticing racial inequities from a very young age but i certainly did not realize then that there was anything that could be done about it. i imagine, even a grown-up would feel intimidated/overwhelmed to do something about it in MS.
yet tomorrow, there’s opportunity!
— hayley from Paramore 🌺 (@yelyahwilliams) June 26, 2020
Williams was also being transparent about the Black community largely contributing to her artistry:
“I’m speaking on this in effort to honor the good memories I have kept from my childhood in Meridian,” she tweets. “And to (in a way that feels too small) give support back to the young black people who I know made a significant impact on my musical journey.”
She went on to tweet heartfelt “special shouts” about her childhood friends Sheena and Sakara.
special shouts, though they may never see this:
Sheena- i have this memory of you drawin D’Angelo all on your papers in class bc you thought he was hot. THATS HOW I LEARNED ABOUT HIM.
Sakara- we would sing “aahaaa hush that fuss…” during recess. first time i heard OutKast 😭
— hayley from Paramore 🌺 (@yelyahwilliams) June 26, 2020
Mississippi was the last state to continue to fly a flag that had a Confederate emblem.
tomorrow, legislators in my birthstate have a chance to take action with a big first step…
so tonight, i am appealing to the Mississippi legislature to vote tomorrow (Friday, June 26) on a new flag, one that represents ALL of the citizens of MS.#TakeItDownMS
— hayley from Paramore 🌺 (@yelyahwilliams) June 26, 2020
Although a disheartening 64 percent of Mississippi citizens voted in a pubic referendum back in 2001 against changing the flag, Mississippi has officially announced it plans to fly a new state flag.
Not only did Paramore contribute more than $25,000 to supporting organizations of Black Lives Matter on June 8th, 2020, but Williams gave the reigns of her Instagram to Teens4Equality.
View this post on Instagram
a lot of reading today, on this feed. you’re used to it. 🖤 boosting this msg from @paramore.
The group organized a Black Lives Matter march in Nashville, TN that drew in more than a whopping 20,000 people.
The march was peaceful but powerful. You can keep up with Hayley William’s fight for what’s right via her Instagram.
Writer | Tweet me @juliaroulhac
